Malami reveals that Nigerian and US governments are discussing the possible extradition of Abba Kyari

NIGERIA'S attorney-general Abubakar Malami has revealed that the federal government is engaged in talks with the US over the extradition of the head of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Response Team Deputy Police Commissioner Abba Kyari.

In court documents released by the United States Department of Justice in August last year, Mr Kyari was said to have been bribed by Nigerian Instagram celebrity Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi. Apparently, he was bribed to arrest one Kelly Chibuzor Vincent, 40, in Nigeria who had an altercation with Hushpuppi.

Titled Six Indicted in International Scheme to Defraud Qatari School Founder and then Launder over $1m in Illicit Proceeds, the indictment accused Hushpuppi of creating bogus documents and arranging for the creation of a fake bank website and phone banking line to support the defrauding of a business person trying to provide $1.1m for the funding of a school in Qatar. Mr Kyari, who is accused of being complicit in these crimes, has since been suspended from duty while an investigation into what took place was conducted.

Since last year, the report into the matter has been submitted but no action has been taken against Mr Kyari. Amid suggestions that all charges against Mr Kyari may be dropped, Mr Malami revealed that this is not true as the US and Nigerian governments are discussing possible extradition proceedings.

Mr Malami said: “It is an issue that has international and national dimensions. Actions have been taken, it is a work-in-process locally and internationally and we are doing whatever it takes to ensure justice is done within the context of the law regardless of the personalities that are involved.

“When criminality is involved, Nigeria and US naturally work together when there are elements of the offences that have taken place in the diverse jurisdictions. So, Nigeria is doing the needful by way of supporting what America is doing for the purpose of ensuring that the cases are tried accordingly within the context of the American context of it and then, eventually, if there is need for local prosecution, nothing stops it.

“There are a lot of issues that are ongoing inclusive of the possibility of consideration for extradition. That is where the collaboration element of it comes into play.

 “As far as I am concerned, the parties are discussing, the parties are collaborating, there are exchanges of correspondence from the perspective of investigation, from the perspective of extradition, and associated things. Reasonable grounds for suspicion have been established and that will eventually translate to the possibility of prosecution and conviction if indeed one is adjudged guilty by the law.”

FBI special agent, Andrew Innocenti, had alleged that Hushpuppi contracted the services of Kyari after Mr Vincent, a co-conspirator, threatened to expose the alleged $1.1m fraud committed against a Qatari businessman. Mr Innocenti, who said he obtained voice calls and WhatsApp conversations between Messrs  Kyari and Hushpuppi, also alleged that the latter paid the police officer N8m or $20,600 for the arrest and detention of Mr Vincent.

In July last year, the United States Attorney’s Office at the Central District of California ordered the FBI to arrest Mr Kyari. Hushpuppi, who pleaded guilty to various offences bordering on internet scam and money laundering, among others, risks 20 years’ imprisonment in the US.